{"product_id":"the-crusades-the-authoritative-history-of-the-war-for-the-holy-land-isbn-9780060787288","title":"The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom a renowned historian who writes with \"maximum vividness\" (\u003cem\u003eThe New Yorke\u003c\/em\u003er) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity—both firm in the belief that they were at God's work—fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars: the Crusades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions—such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin—shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, and pious visionaries; across the desert sands of Egypt to the verdant forests of Lebanon; and through the ancient cities of Constantinople, Cairo, and Damascus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the Near East, Thomas Asbridge uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of jihad and crusade, revealing how these holy wars reshaped the medieval world and why they continue to influence events today.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom a renowned historian who writes with \"maximum vividness\" (\u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eNine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity—both firm in the belief that they were at God's work—fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars: the Crusades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions—such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin—shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, and pious visionaries; across the desert sands of Egypt to the verdant forests of Lebanon; and through the ancient cities of Constantinople, Cairo, and Damascus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the Near East, Thomas Asbridge uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of \u003cem\u003ejihad\u003c\/em\u003e and crusade, revealing how these holy wars reshaped the medieval world and why they continue to influence events today. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003ePraise For \u003ci\u003eThe First Crusade\u003c\/i\u003e:  “Asbridge, in keeping with his aim to produce a popular history, writes with maximum vividness.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJoan Acocella, The New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Rousing. . . . Asbridge knows this territory well . . .  he even walked 350 miles of the crusaders’ route.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor (list of noteworthy nonfiction 2004)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Asbridge, a British authority on the Crusades, brilliantly recreates the three-year history of the First Crusade, chronicling its difficulties and victories, not downplaying its brutality but emphasizing its genuinely religious impulse. . . .  Asbridge combines fast-paced history writing, evocative prose and lucid research for a first-rate history of the First Crusade.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gives exactly the sort of fast-flowing narrative the story demands.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Brilliant, authoritative, and accessible, Thomas Asbridge’s THE CRUSADES is a must read. Asbridge balances impeccable scholarship with a gifted storyteller’s engaging voice. He vividly portrays the driving forces and personalities, the perspectives of Christians and Muslims, and the legacy of the Crusades in Christian and Muslim history and imagination.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProfessor John L. Esposito, Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A truly comprehensive history of holy war in the Holy Land.  Emphasizing the dramatic Third Crusade and its heroic antagonists, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, the narrative reads like an adventure story, albeit one that is both factual and instructive.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Asbridge has produced a truly comprehensive history of holy war in the Holy Land . . . that  reads like an adventure story, albeit one that is both factual and instructive.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889115656421,"sku":"NP9780060787288","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780060787288.jpg?v=1730230548","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-crusades-the-authoritative-history-of-the-war-for-the-holy-land-isbn-9780060787288","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}